Scenes from the South

SCENES FROM THE SOUTH

by Marc Nair, 14 January 2018

There is a particular openness to photographing in India. The light, for one thing, draws you in, as do the people. There is warmth in the colours, and a grittiness in the air. It could be from the constant dust clouds thrown up by the never-ending parade of buses and trucks, but it makes for natural scenes, whether snapped from the back of a motorbike (as many of these were) or by walking through the villages that dot the landscape.

The school bus may drop kids off in the centre of town, but it's always a long walk home. Fortunately they don't have to make it home alone.

Every afternoon on queue, the regulars show up to procure their daily supply of bootleg whisky from a well-fortified shop. Not every village has a liquor shop though, just as not every village sells cigarettes!

Nestled between more modern houses, a woman peeks out from beneath her thatched roof.

Hacking coconuts at any age is no fun, especially not when you're pushing 80 and have to suffer long hours waiting for customers on the side of a dusty road.

Doggies resting in the shade after soaking up the sun at Serenity Beach.

The edge of the breakwater at Serenity Beach does little to protect against the leaping waves, as these beachgoers quickly found out!

Throwing stones like wishes into the Bay of Bengal at Pondicherry beach.

Sunsets are always gorgeous affairs after the long months of rain.

Taking a slow ride down the main promenade of Pondicherry is the best way to pass a sleepy afternoon.

Or you could always sit under symmetry and watch the world go by.

Tractors (and intractable cows) are still very much a part of India's traffic landscape, and make for 'interesting' ambulations, particularly on the back of a dodgy motorbike.

Indian fashion is loud, often mismatched but lovable all the same.

A roadside stall hangs up clothes for sale between trees. They look more like Tibetan prayer flags, dancing on the occasional breeze.

India is all light and dusty glow in the evenings.May it always be untamed and impossible all at once.